XL—CHARLOTTE STREET
This street which seems to have been named after Queen Charlotte
runs from south to north from Percy Street to Howland Street. The original
Charlotte Street extended to Goodge Street, and from thence to Tottenham
Street it was called Lower Charlotte Street, the remainder being known as
Upper Charlotte Street. In 1766 building was proceeding on its western
side as shown by a lease from the Goodge Brothers to William Franks,
gentleman, of Gerrard Street (afterwards of Percy Street, q.v.), of ground
adjoining west on ground late Marchant's Waterworks, south on ground
whereon is late erected a chapel also let to him and north on Bennett Street (ref. 28) .
The Waterworks are shown on Rocque's Plan of London (1746), and Percy
Chapel stood on the west side of Charlotte Street immediately opposite the
end of Windmill Street (see below, p. 21). Charlotte Street is typical of the
late 18th-century development of this area and its present condition is therefore described in this section in some detail. The houses have been re-numbered twice since they were first numbered, the present sequence running
from south to north, with the odd numbers on the west and the even on the
east side. The progress of erection was in the same direction and except
for the breaks at the cross streets the houses were (before the war) in uninterrupted rows like those in Percy Street.

Figure 4:
Charlotte Street, reproduced from Tallis's Views of London
West side: Nos. 1 to 13, south end to Bedford Passage
Nos. 1 and 3 are entirely modern. Nos. 5, 7 and 9 are all of four
storeys above the basement: in design they are much the same as those of
Percy Street except that they have no original stone cornices. Probably
they were only of three storeys at first and the top storey was a subsequent
addition: the difference is shown very definitely in No. 9. Ordinary stock
brick was used for the walls but the tall and narrow windows, three in each
upper storey, have red brick flat arches. The parapets are plain, but that of
No. 7 has been altered and two flush dormers of modern brick, with pediments, now light the attics. Behind the parapet of No. 9 is a mansard roof
with two dormers. The ground storey of No. 5 has a modern shop front.
No. 7 retains the original front with two sash windows and south of them a
round-headed doorway with a painted cement architrave and a six-panelled
door with bolection mouldings. The door frame has side pilasters with
moulded caps and a moulded transom below the plain-glazed head-light.
No. 9 has an early 19th-century shop front of round-headed windows and
middle doorway and north of them the private doorway with a fanlight.
(Plate 5.) The five piers dividing these features have panelled pilasters
with foliated caps, all below a plain frieze and bracketed cornice. The
heavy side door of six flush panels once had a great iron lock for which
the passage wall had to be recessed. These side doors of Nos. 7 and 9 open into
hall-passages: they have moulded cornices with a deep hollow and No. 9
has a panelled high dado. They have rear arches, opening on to the staircases, with panelled reveals and elliptical heads. This arrangement occurs
in practically all the older buildings in the street with slight variations in the
cornices, arches etc. The staircase of No. 7 is of dog-legged type with thin
turned newels, straight square balusters, ramped handrail and straight
strings. That of No. 9 has shaft-newels, square balusters and cut strings
with bracketed ends to the steps. The upper rooms have a similar cornice
and, in the front room on the first floor, is a fireplace with side-pilasters in pairs
having foliated caps, a frieze of plamate leaves and an enriched moulded shelf:
it is of wood with the ornament applied in plaster. Nos. 11 and 13 have
modern stone fronts to the ground floor and cemented upper storeys. The
north side of No. 13 has plaster facing to the ground storey with horizontal
grooving to represent masonry, and two later doorways and shop front.
The upper storeys are of the old brickwork.

Figure 5:
Charlotte Street, reproduced from Tallis's Views of London
East side: Nos. 2 to 14, from Percy Street to Windmill Street
The houses are or were of the same age and style as those opposite
but have modern shop fronts, and the upper storeys have some variations.
They were originally of two storeys above the ground floors (see Tallis's view,
above) but all have an additional third storey. No. 2 was faced with 19thcentury cement and has Ionic pilasters, but it is now mostly boarded up after
war damage. No. 4 has colour-washed brickwork. The windows, three to
each storey, match the others but the second floor has iron balconies and the
first floor windows, which probably also once had balconies, are fitted with
casements and head-lights. Above the second floor is a later cement frieze
and cornice and above that a top storey with a plain parapet. No. 6 is cementfaced: the windows, two in each storey, have cement architraves. At second
floor level is a deep modillioned cornice above which is a later top storey also
with a cornice. No. 8 may have been altered as the windows are shorter than
the others. No. 10 was rebuilt or refaced in the 19th-century; it is of three
storeys above the shop with rather small sash windows. No. 12 also has a
19th-century brick front with straight joints on both sides: it is of four
storeys above the shop. No. 14, similarly refaced with stock brick, is of
three storeys.
West side: Nos. 15 to 31, up to Rathbone Street
Nos. 15 and 17 are on the site of Percy Chapel and were built after
its demolition in 1867. Nos. 19, 21, 25, 29 and 31 retain the original
brickwork to the two storeys above the ground storeys with similar windows
and plain parapets, behind which are mansard roofs with dormers. No. 23
is similar but its windows have been embellished with cement architraves,
entablatures and one pediment. No. 25 rises one storey higher than the
others. No. 27 has been faced with cement and has a moulded cornice; its
windows appear to be the original openings but altered; the middle first
floor window has a round head and entablature of cement, the others have
architraves, etc.
All the ground floor fronts have been altered. Four are modern.
No. 21 has an early 19th-century shop front and north of it a wide doorway
with double doors: the private doorway is to the south and has a fluted
architrave and rectangular head-light. Between and flanking these features
are moulded pilasters with capitals. The fronts of Nos. 29 and 31 are alike,
built perhaps in 1830 or 1840, with a south doorway with double doors and a
shop window. Between and flanking all features are wide pilasters with
Corinthian capitals supporting a frieze and cornice. The north side of No. 31
is similar but has been damaged and the upper storeys have been rebuilt or
refaced with modern brick.
East side: Nos. 16 to 36, up to Colville Place
The ground floor shop fronts are modern unless otherwise described.
No. 16, the Fitzroy Tavern, is all modern. Original brickwork is seen in
Nos. 18, 20, 28, 32 and 36, but with a few variations, while Nos. 22, 24,
26, 30 and 34 have been cemented. The first floor windows of No. 20 have
lowered sills and iron balconies. The fourth storeys of Nos. 18 and 20 are
later additions, the latter higher than the former. The cement face of No. 22
is of a mid-late 19th-century design. Nos. 24 and 26 have architraves to the
windows, and the first floor window sills are at floor level with balconies:
the top storey has a cornice and parapet behind which are mansard roofs
with dormer windows. The ground storey of No. 24 has the two original
window openings, fitted with casements and a roundheaded south doorway.
The top storey of No. 28 is modern, the wall having been rebuilt from about
2 feet above the second floor windows; the first floor sills are at floor level.
The windows of No. 30 are the original openings, with the first floor sills
lowered: all have architraves. The two storeys above the shop of No. 32
are original but the top two storeys are later: they have been damaged and the
windows are at present unglazed. The ground floor front may be of early
19th-century design with a middle and a south doorway but the actual windows are later. The south door is eight-panelled. The cementing of
No. 34 resembles that of Nos. 24 and 26 but the sills have not been lowered.
The shop front—a middle window between side doorways—is probably older
than that of No. 32. The two top storeys of No. 36 are built of later
and larger bricks than the lower. The north side, to Colville Place, is
cemented in the ground storey and of ancient brickwork above and is
unpierced.
The hollow cornice of No. 9 is repeated in a number of lower rooms
and passages of this row but not in all. The staircases also differ. For
instance Nos. 20 and 22 have the original stairs with plain newels, turned
balusters with a square block and cut strings with shaped brackets but that to
No. 18 is plainer with a straight string and in No. 26 the cut strings have
no brackets and the handrail finishes with a spiral over the lowest newel.

Figure 6:
Charlotte Street, reproduced from Tallis's Views of London
West side: Nos. 33 to 47, up to Goodge Street
Nos. 33 and 35 have been demolished after war damage. <Correction: Nos 33 and 35 were demolished before the war (information from J. H. Farrar, June 1951).> No. 37 has
a modern shop but the upper two storeys are of 18th-century stock brick
with blank middle windows. Nos. 39, 41 and 43 are modern. No. 47,
The Northumberland Arms, shows ancient brickwork in the upper storeys, but
the windows, two in each storey, have architraves and segmental arched
heads, and the former third storey has been converted into two storeys of less
height with smaller windows. The ground storey has mid 19th-century
windows and a south doorway, all divided and flanked by fluted pilasters
with rosette-carved caps under a moulded cornice. The north side to Goodge
Street is similar.
East side: Nos. 38 to 42, up to Goodge Street
No. 38 is of 18th-century brick in the two storeys above the shop
but the top storey is later. No. 40, adjoining it with a straight joint, is similar. The south side of No. 38 to Colville Place has two blank or blocked
windows to each of the three storeys. No. 42 has been rebuilt: all have
modern shops.
West side: Nos. 49 to 69, from Goodge Street to Tottenham Street
Nos. 49 and 51 have been demolished after war damage. Of the
nine houses in this row only three fronts, Nos. 57, 61 and 67, show the
original 18th-century brickwork in the upper storeys. Four others, Nos.
53, 55, 63 and 65, have modern brick faces but the latter two may be older
inside. No. 59 is modern and No. 69, which is entirely cemented, has
probably also been remodelled. All have modern shop fronts, but several
retain the old side entrances. No. 53 has a 19th-century door with three
fielded panels, the top and bottom elliptical and the middle rectangular with
moulded angles. The upper windows are arched. The shop and side passage
have moulded cornices.
No. 55 has four storeys equal in height to the three in Nos. 53 and
57: it has a heavy cornice above the fourth storey and the fifth storey
is modern. In No. 57 the storey above the shop is of original brick but
the middle window has had its head raised to a higher level, above a
transom, and it has casement frames. The windows flanking it have been
furnished with quasi-flat arches in cement with rusticated jointing. The
storeys (third and fourth) above are of later brickwork with small windows
similarly treated. The shop has a moulded cornice with brackets.

Figure 7:
Charlotte Street, reproduced from Tallis's Views of London
No. 61 generally resembles No. 57 in front. The side passage has
a cornice with small brackets. An intermediate lobby doorway is of the 18thcentury and has an iron fanlight. The staircase has bracketed cut strings
and turned balusters with square blocks, but the much plainer lowest flight
is a later alteration. The modern front of No. 63 has a stone cornice, and a
pediment over the middle part. The interior has been less altered and has
bracketed cornices as in No. 57. The staircase is broader than the others
and has turned balusters and newels with ball-heads, and straight sloping
strings. No. 65 has a round headed side doorway and the upper windows
in the modern brickwork may be the original openings. No. 67 has 18thcentury brickwork of a brownish tint to the two storeys above the shop and
each storey has three rather narrow windows as in Nos. 57 and 61, but the
flat arches have been whitened; they have casement frames. The hallpassage has a hollow cornice like that in No. 9 and the round-headed rear
archway has fluted pilasters and enriched moulded caps. The stairs have
turned newels, straight square balusters and bracketed cut strings. The
windows in the cemented front of No. 69 have pediments and cornices on
corbels. It seems to have been remodelled or rebuilt as its storeys are
higher than those of No. 67.
East side: Nos. 44 to 54, Goodge Street to Tottenham Street
Nos. 44 and 48 are modern. No. 46 which appears to have been a
19th-century building is now derelict. Nos. 50, 52 and 54 up to Scala
Street have been totally destroyed. No. 54 was the Blue Post public house
(Charringtons). North of this is the Scala Theatre.
West side: Nos. 71 to 99, Tottenham Street to Bedford Passage
Nos. 71 to 79 have been demolished after war damage. Of the
existing ten only No. 95 preserves the original ground floor setting; No. 99
is entirely modern and the other eight have modern shop fronts, but mostly
retain the south side doorways to the passage and stairs. Nos. 81, 83 and 85
seem to have had their upper brickwork renovated in the 19th-century; the
remainder except No. 99 are probably the original 18th-century fronts.
The ground storey of No. 81 is cemented (a warehouse or store):
the three storeys above it have windows like the 18th-century work although
the brickwork may be later: the upper brickwork has been repointed and the
south angle repaired following war damage. No. 83 has the old brick roundheaded south doorway and a derelict shop front. The upper two storeys
have two windows in each and are of discoloured brickwork, probably 19thcentury: the windows do not range with those of No. 81, the storeys being
lower: the glass is broken or missing. The upper storeys of No. 85 are of
modern stock brick with similar but renewed windows. The hall-passage has a
decórated 'Victorian' cornice and the staircase is a very plain one with
straight strings. The fronts of Nos. 87 and 89 are of one build: the windows
(two in each storey) are like the others but the first floor sills are lowered.
Both fronts have iron S straps showing where they have been reinforced by
internal ties. Behind the parapets are mansard roofs with dormers. The
round-headed south side doorway of No. 91 has been treated with cement
rustications. The upper storeys have two windows each and are divided
from the next houses by straight joints. No. 93 is similar but with lowered
sills to the first floor, and a mansard roof behind the parapet. No. 95 has
its two original sash windows to the ground floor and a round-headed south
doorway like that to No. 91. The brickwork to the three storeys above is
of uncertain date. Each storey has two windows, the first floor windows with
sills at floor level and wrought iron balconies. The front of No. 97 is similar
except that each storey has three windows. It also has a side doorway but
the passage has a smaller cornice and the staircase is a very plain one. All the
doorways have the local six panelled door mentioned previously.
East side: Nos. 64 to 78, Tottenham Street to Chitty Street
No. 64 is a 19th-century building treated with cement, with pedimented windows, etc. It is now a costumier's premises but its former use
is suggested by the name 'Hogarth Studios' in large cement panels on both
west and south faces. The next four houses, Nos. 66 and 72 are late 18thcentury of one type originally, each with a ground storey, and three storeys
above, showing the ancient brickwork. No. 66 was damaged by bombblast and the ground floor shop front has for the present been roughly repaired
with brick: it has a south side doorway with an old wooden architrave and
panelled reveals and the usual six panelled door. The door casing, said to
have been like those farther north, is missing. The storey above is old with
three sash windows but the uppermost two have been rebuilt in stock brick.
The ground storey of No. 68 has been cemented to imitate masonry and has
two windows and a south side doorway. The three upper storeys of original
brickwork have windows ranging with those of No. 66 but the first floor sills are
at floor level. No. 70 has the two original ground floor windows and a south
doorway: this has an 18th-century wood casing, framed with an architrave
flanked on the outside by angle pilasters with moulded caps, and an entablature with a plain frieze. The ground storey of No. 72 has been faced with
cement up to the first floor sill level. It has the original two windows and a
south side doorway with the same wood setting as No. 70 but the frieze is enriched with fluting and disc ornament. The three upper storeys, each with
three windows, are like No. 70 but there are repairs (after war damage) between
the heads of the outer windows and the sills above them, and to the parapet.
The staircases are plain. No. 74 (The Swiss Club) is of 18th-century
brickwork, once whitened or cream-washed. The ground storey has two
windows and a north round-headed wide doorway with a pair of four panelled
bolection-moulded doors. The three storeys above have three windows each
and post-war damage repair with stock brick between the heads of all windows
and the sills of those above. The basement has an open area with an iron
railing. The staircase off the north side of the north entrance-hall has plain
newels, turned balusters with square block, and cut strings with shaped and
scrolled end brackets. The walls of the stair-hall are treated with raised
plaster mouldings to form rectangular and oval panels and in its east back
wall on the ground and first floors are bulls-eye windows or borrowed
lights surrounded by palm leaf and scroll ornament in plaster. The ground
floor Dining Room has a plain ceiling and moulded enriched cornice.
Next, to the north, is the damaged Church of St. John the Evangelist,
which was consecrated in 1846 (see p. 22). No. 76 has a London County
Council tablet on the front recording that John Constable, painter, died
here in 1837 (see p. 25). The front, of four storeys above the basement, is of
ancient brickwork once whitened in the lower part, now rendered in cement
(Plate 6). The ground storey has two sash windows and a north doorway
with a wood casing like that at No. 72. Each upper storey has three sash
windows. The top storey is probably later than the others and has a plain
parapet. There is little of architectural interest inside. The front room,
ground floor, has a fire place of soft wood, with an eared moulded architrave,
ogee frieze and modillioned cornice-shelf. In the back wall of the room
is a later arched recess for a side-board: the ceiling has a moulded cornice
with modillions. The round arched opening from the passage to the stairs
has its moulded capitals decorated with a small key pattern. The stairs are
of the plain simple type seen in most of the houses in this part of the street.
Constable's studio was at the back off the staircase. No. 78 appears to be
an early to mid-19th-century building. It is faced with cement: the ground
floor has a shop front to the street. The upper windows have architraves
and those on the first floor have pediments. The main cornice is at third
floor level and another storey above this has also a cornice. A large panel
on the north side, ground floor, has the name 'Devonshire House,' and east
of it is the entrance doorway and portico with fluted columns having moulded
caps and a plain entablature with a bracketed cornice.
West side: Nos. 101 to 121, Bedford Passage to Howland Street
Nos. 101 to 109 have been demolished down to basement floor
level after war damage. The next four houses, Nos. 111 to 117, probably
all had plain brick fronts like that of No. 119 and were embellished at some
subsequent period. They are of one design and are of four storeys above a
basement which has plain windows to an open area. The ground storey is
treated with plaster facing with wide sunk horizontal 'joints' as seen in many
other fronts locally. It has two sash windows and a round-headed south
entrance. This is flanked by pilasters decorated with guilloche panels and
with moulded caps: corbelling above these flank the round head and support
a cornice and pediment: the doors are the local six panel type. At the first
floor level is a moulded string-course. The upper storeys show the late 18thcentury brickwork between the windows; there are straight-joints between
Nos. 111 and 113 and between Nos. 115 and 117. The three tall windows
of the first floor have architraves and the middle one an entablature. No. 113
has a later variation, the middle window-head having been heightened and
the cornice of the entablature reset just below the second floor window sill.
The second floor windows also have architraves. At third floor level is a
plain frieze and cornice. This may have been the original height of the
front. Above it is another storey with architraved windows and a moulded
cornice to the parapet.
No. 119 has the same plaster treatment of the ground storey (now
painted black and white). The round-headed south doorway has a key-block
and cornice but no pediment. The upper storeys show the original brickwork and sash windows with red brick flat arches. The first floor sills are at
floor level. The front has straight joints with both No. 117 and No. 121. No.
121 is like the last but the flat arches are of a stock brick. The round-headed
doorway has a plaster architrave and fanlight: the door frame has side pilasters
with reeded faces and with lions' masks carved at transom level. The middle
first floor window has been crudely heightened nearly to second floor sill
level.
There are few internal features of interest. The hall-passages have
small cornices, some, as in Nos. 119 and 121, with modillions or dentils. No.
115 has a high panelled dado and an inner lobby doorway with an elaborately
scrolled over-door. It also has the remains of an Adam ceiling in the first
floor front room. It has been damaged and the centre restored with plain
plaster but appears to be a repetition of those in Nos. 82, 92 and 94 opposite.
The doors to this and the back room on to the landing are of fine mahogany
work with six panels and moulded ribs but are now the worse for wear. The
staircases are mostly plain with ramped handrails; one or two have brackets
to the cut strings.
East side: Nos. 80 to 98, Chitty Street to Howland Street
The houses in this row were built at the same time as those opposite
but the embellishing of the fronts was mostly done at a later date, and all the
original brickwork is now hidden by cement facing variously treated. The
ground storeys all have round-beaded doorways but they are furnished
with pediments, each of which is curved except that of No. 82. The
middle of the first floor windows has a pediment and the others have
architraves and entablatures. The other fronts are treated in a nondescript Victorian fashion. The whole frontage has a main moulded cornice
above the second floor with supplementary brackets in Nos. 80 and 98. Above
this is a top storey with architraved windows and a small cornice.
Most of the staircases are now of stone with iron balustrades. The
party wall of Nos. 80 and 82 has been pierced by doorways for common
usage and the latter has its original wood staircase of plain simple kind.
Its first floor front room has the Adam ceiling complete, rather choked by
white wash. The main design is a radial central feature surrounded by two
circles with eight half-round festoons surrounding the inner, all in a square
with ornaments in the spandrels. Farther north and south narrow panels
take up the rest of the rectangular plan. These two houses, Nos. 80 and 82,
now unoccupied, were badly shaken by bomb-blast; windows are broken and
plaster has given way but this ceiling seems to be unharmed and repairs
now begun will preserve it. The ground and first floor front rooms of No. 82
have white marble fireplaces with urns carved at the tops of the pilasters
and with a frieze, inlaid flush with quasi-flutings of brown marble, below the
cornice-shelf.
Nos. 92 and 94 have ceilings similar to No. 82. The back room first
floor of No. 84 had another but it was damaged and is now replaced by plain
plaster.
Percy Chapel, Charlotte Street
On the site of Nos. 15 and 17 Charlotte Street stood Percy Chapel.
It was built in 1765 (fn. *) and demolished in 1867. An engraving of the building
is extant and this and a water colour drawing in the extra illustrated copy of
Lysons' Environs (Plate 4) are to be found in the collection at the Guildhall. It
is also shown on the Tallis view of Charlotte Street (see p. 13). The chapel
was built by William Franks as appears from a lease granted by Francis
and William Goodge on 24th May, 1765, of the site "with the building
intended for a chapel, lately erected by William Franks." (ref. 28) The lease was
purchased in 1766 by Michael Duffield and the property was enfranchised
in 1866. (ref. 29)
The first incumbent of the chapel was the Rev. Anthony Stephen
Matthew, but following J. R. Smith in his Book for a Rainy Day most authorities give his Christian name as Henry. (fn. †) This seems to have been a slip on
the part of Smith. Matthew befriended Flaxman at the beginning of his
career and his wife "herself a woman of culture used to invite the boy to
her house and read out translations of the ancient poets while he made
sketches to such passages as struck his fancy." Their house in Rathbone
Place (see p. 12) was a favourite meeting place for Blake, Flaxman, Stothard
and their friends, and Flaxman decorated the interior with reliefs. Matthew
was entered at Peterhouse, Cambridge, in 1751 at the age of 17. He held
the rectories of Glooston, (Leics) and Broughton, (Northants) and was joint
lecturer at St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London. He died in 1824. (ref. 30)
James Haldane Stewart, who ministered here from 1812 to 1828,
was born in 1776 at New London, Connecticut. His family returned to
England on account of the revolt of the American Colonies and he was
educated at Eton and Exeter College, Oxford. He was called to the Bar
but gave up his legal practice and was ordained. He had large and distinguished congregations at Percy Chapel but resigned in 1828, rather than pay
the higher rental demanded for a renewal of the lease. On an engraved
portrait from a painting by J. Slater, he is called rector of Limpsfield, Surrey.
At his death in 1854 he was rector of St. Bride's, Liverpool. (ref. 31)
In October, 1843, the Rev. Robert Montgomery was appointed to
the charge of the chapel and remained here until his death in 1855. He was
a voluminous writer of religious verse and is chiefly remembered by the
"classic criticism" meted out to him by Macaulay in the Edinburgh Review.
He wrote Satan, Luther, The Omnipresence of the Deity, and many other
works. William Wilberforce worshipped at this chapel for some years. The
registers of baptisms at Percy Chapel (1776–1867) are preserved at the
parish church of St. Pancras, Euston Road.
The list of incumbents is as follows—
|
| 1766 | Anthony Stephen Matthew (fn. *) |
| 1804 | Thomas Beaseley |
| 1812–1828 | James Haldane Stewart |
| 1830 | Francis Ellaby |
| 1837 | Thomas Ward |
| 1843 | Robert Montgomery |
| 1856 | Joshua Rundle Watson |
| 1857 | Samuel Minton |
| 1860 | John Baillie |
| 1863–1867 | Edward Wynne |
St. John The Evangelist, Charlotte Street
This church stands between No. 74 (formerly 31) and No. 76
(formerly 25) and on the site of three houses formerly numbered 32, 33 and
34. The church was designed by Hugh Smith and the contemporary
criticism by The Ecclesiologist in 1846 (Vol. V, pp. 123–4) is of interest since
it may be thought to reflect more on the capacity of the critics than on the
reputation of the architect.
"It is a most unsatisfactory composition. The style is Romanesque, but whether the
Anglo, or Lombardo, or Germano variety, it would probably puzzle the architect himself, as much
as it does us to determine. In fact it is the conventional Romanesque of the worst time of the
departing age. The West front, on paper, might be taken for a Door for Mainz or Spiers and doubtless seemed very imposing to the Committee. But it is of course on an absurdly small scale. Two
towers, staged and corbelled, to be hereafter crowned with spires, flank a west gable which has an
assuming door below an equal triplet of round-headed lights above which is a most ugly and heavy
wheel window. The towers also have doors, with "lobbies" inside. Beyond the towers in the
west front are flat-roofed wings, masking the aisles, which run in between the adjacent houses, and
have no windows. The only thing tolerable in the front is that it is built of rag with dressings:
but let not the visitor penetrate to the Mews behind lest he should be shocked by the beggarliness
of all that does not meet the eye. The inside does not present one characteristick of the style which
has been adopted. A nave (thirty two feet broad) is parted from its begalleried aisles by five segmental
pseudo-Romanesque arches sustained by tall pillars with a kind of cushion caps and stilted bases.
A vast, but most mean, chancel arch opens into a most inadequate chancel-recess, which has an unequal triplet under a common segmental arch. The nave roof is open and poor, of miserable scantlings. The aisles have flat foofs. The clerestory has a multitude of couplets of round headed lights.
Neither these nor any other lights, have the least splay or hood. There are galleries on three sides
(not however coming so far forward as the pillars) with open fronts of an intersecting Romanesque
arcade, and supported by thin lanky cast-iron pillars in imitation of the same style. The sacristy
is in the angle between the chancel-recess and north aisle. There are other faults which it is not worth
while to mention. Really the new churches in London are worse than in almost every other town."
The church was badly damaged by a flying bomb on 25th March, 1945.
The parish had been united with that of St. Saviour's, London
Street, in 1913.
The list of incumbents is as follows—
|
| 1846 | John Edward Kempe |
| 1848 | William Cooke |
| 1850 | George Smith Drew |
| 1854 | William Gill |
| 1861 | James Moorhouse |
| 1868 | John James Coxhead |
| 1911 | Trevor Basil Woodd resigned 1941. |
Inhabitants
|
| No. 2. (formerly 1.) | 1812–1826, Madame Violet[t]. According to D.N.B., Pierre Violet (1749–1819),
miniature painter, died at No. 1 Charlotte Street. He was born in France but came to
England about 1781. He published a treatise on miniature painting. His widow,
Marguerite, died in 1851. |
| No. 3. | 1788, James Hook (1746–1827), organist and musical composer, resided in Charlotte
Street where his second son Theodore Edward Hook (1788–1841), novelist and humorist,
was born. |
| No. 4. | 1770–1783, Rev. Joseph Phillimore. He may have been the Vicar of Orton on the Hill,
Leics, who was father of Joseph Phillimore (1775–1855) who practised in the Ecclesiastical and Admiralty Courts. 1852–1864, Daniel Wildbore, surgeon. |
| No. 6. | 1835–1849, George Reid Sargent, artist. |
| No. 8. | 1773–1779, Richard Wilson (1714–1783), landscape painter, one of the foundation
members of the Royal Academy nominated by George III in 1768. According to
D.N.B. he was at No. 78 (then No. 36) in this street from 1771 to 1772. The ratebooks give him at No. 69 (then No. 70) in 1773 and at No. 8 (then No. 4), 1773–1779.
D.N.B. says he had already moved in 1777 to Norton Street. He became Librarian
to the Academy in 1776. |
| No. 10. | 1840, John William Gear, artist and lithographer. |
| No. 11. | 1794–1798, Samuel Carrigue, surgeon, apothecary and man-midwife. |
| No. 12. | 1798–1804, Francois Cramer (1772–1848), violinist, second son of Wilhelm Cramer
who was leader of the Ancient Concerts, a post to which his son succeeded on his father's
death in 1799. He retired as leader in 1844 and died at Westbourne Grove. His
brother, the more famous Johann Baptist Cramer founded the firm of J. B. Cramer &
Co. (See also No. 82.) |
| No. 14. | 1770–1779, Esther Capper. Probably the daughter of Christopher Capper, who lived
at the farmhouse behind 196 Tottenham Court Road until 1768. (See Section LIX,
page 76.) |
| No. 19. | 1773–1776, John Paxton (d. 1780), painter. One of the original members of the
Incorporated Society of Artists. In 1770 he settled in Charlotte Street and practised as
a portrait painter. He went to India later to execute some commissions and died at
Bombay. |
| No. 20. | 1808—, Rev. Robert Selby Hele. He was preceded by John Hele from 1773–1798. |
| No. 24. | 1788–1798, Councillor Henry Lucas. 1838–1842, Mark Brown, surgeon. 1843–1848,
John Robinson Wells, surgeon. |
| No. 26. | 1770–1782, Major George Gascoigne, followed by 1783–1788, William Gascoigne and
1794–1798, Mrs. Gascoigne. |
| No. 28. | 1776–1779, James Shaw, who according to Bryan's Dictionary of Printers and Engravers,
was a native of Wolverhampton and a pupil of Edward Penny. "He painted portraits
with some reputation and towards the latter end of his life resided in Charlotte Street,
Rathbone Place, where he died about the year 1784. " From 1781–2, Samuel Shaw's
name appears in the ratebooks. |
| No. 30. | 1808, Charles Dibdin (1745–1814), dramatist and song writer. Retired to Cranford
in 1805 but on the withdrawal of his pension by Grenville in 1806–7 returned to London
in 1808 to produce at the Lyceum. 1838, J. Dixon (Institution of Industrial Classes).
See also No. 32. |
| No. 32. | 1770–1773, Captain Langdon, who from 1781–1785 became Admiral Langdon, followed
by Mrs. Langdon (1785–1804). 1835–1838, J. Dixon (Institution of Industrial
Classes). See also No. 30. 1843–1852, John Brinsmead, pianoforte manufacturer. |
| No. 36. | 1824, John Nash. 1841–1854, William Pascall, surgeon. |
| No. 40. | 1779–1788, Captain Gamaliel Nightingale. |
| No. 46. | 1779–1781, Dr. Arnold. 1788, Dr. Bancroft. |
| No. 48. | 1786–1797, Biagio Rebecca (1735–1808), painter and associate of the Royal Academy
(1771). With Cipriani and (later) John Francis Rigaud, R.A., he had a large practice
in internal decoration of town and country houses. |
| No. 51. | 1786–1788, Colonel Ironside, followed by Ann Ironside (1794–1798). |
| No. 52. | 1776–1779, Dr. Lloyd. |
| No. 54. | The Blue Posts Inn. |
| No. 57. | 1773, Edward Penny. This may have been the portrait and historical painter (1714–1791). He withdrew from the Incorporated Society of Artists and was one of the foundation members of the Royal Academy and its first professor of painting. He resigned
through ill health in 1782 and died at Chiswick. |
| No. 59. | 1773, The Rev.—Seracold. 1774–1783, Dr. Josiah Turner. |
| No. 61. | 1776–1783, Dr. Ralph Heathcote. Probably Ralph Heathcote, D.D. (1721–1795),
divine and miscellaneous writer. Assistant reader at Lincolns Inn (1753). About 1767
he left London but frequently visited it. Was vice-general of the peculiar of Southwell
(1788). |
| No. 63. | John Constable lodged at this house. (See No. 76.) |
| No. 65. | 1773–1783, Jacob Bonneau (d. 1786), painter. Exhibited landscapes at the Society
of British Artists of which he was a member (1765–1778) and at the Royal Academy.
He died at Kentish Town. 1794–1798, Captain Charles Morris, probably the song
writer (1745–1838). Entered 17th Foot Regiment (1764) and served in America.
Exchanged into the 2nd Life Guards. Punchmaker and bard of the Beef-steak Club.
Frequent visitor at Carlton House. Retired to Brockham, near Dorking where he
died at the age of 93. |
| No. 68. | 1840–1846, James Frazier Redgrave, artist. 1848, Thomas Coleman Diebdin, artist. |
| No. 69. | 1773, Richard Wilson (1714–1783), landscape painter, see No. 8. |
| No. 74. | 1776–1783, Lieut. Colonel Temple West, of the Grenadier Guards, who died in 1783,
aged 43, was second son of Vice-Admiral Temple West (1713–1757) and father of
sir John West (1774–1862), Admiral of the Fleet. Colonel West was a second cousin
of William Pitt, the younger. He was followed by Mrs. West of Englefield Green,
Surrey (1788–1797) and James West (1798). 1833–1846, John D. Michele, surgeon. |
| No. 76. | 1783–1821, Joseph Farington (1747–1821), landscape painter, R.A. and author of
his well known Diary. 1822–1837, John Constable (1776–1837), the celebrated
landscape painter and R.A. took a lease of Farington's house at his death and altered
it to his liking. He had previously lodged at No. 63 Charlotte Street and on the occasion
of a fire at his home he records taking a picture across to Mr. Farington for safety. In
1827 he took a house in Well Walk, Hampstead and let part of the Charlotte Street
house but retained for his own use his studio, gallery, two parlours, etc. In 1828 on his
wife's death he returned to Charlotte Street and died there on 31 March, 1837. (ref. 32) |
| 1840–1848, Robert Scott Lander (1803–1869) subject painter, brother of James
Eckford Lander. Studied in London, and Edinburgh. Associate of Royal Institution
Edinburgh (1828) and member of Scottish Academy (1838). In the same year he came
to London and was first president of the National Institution of Fine Arts. In 1852 he
returned to Edinburgh to teach and died there. |
| No. 78. | 1771–1772, Richard Wilson (1714–1783) landscape painter, lived here according to
D.N.B., but the house was not built until 1777. See Nos. 8 and 69. |
| No. 79. | 1794–1797, Surgeon Charles Armstrong. 1841–1848, James Greenhalgh, surgeon. |
| No. 81. | 1776–1781, Captain Galbraith. 1786–1804, Robert Smirke, (1752–1845), painter,
A.R.A. (1791), elected keeper of the Royal Academy (1804) but George III would not
confirm the appointment. He designed book illustrations, and died at 3 Osnaburgh
Terrace. His sons were Richard (draughtsman), Sir Edward (lawyer and antiquary)
Sir Robert (architect) and Sydney (architect). 1832–1871, John Wood and Thomas Gray,
artists. The former was probably the painter (1801–1807) of scriptural subjects and
portraits. His portraits included Sir Robert Peel, Earl Grey and John Britton, now in
the National Portrait Gallery |
| No. 82. | 1786–1794, Sir Charles Booth, Bt. 1797–1808, Sir Alexander Hamilton. 1835–1844,
Francois Cramer (1772–1848), violinist. See No. 12. |
| No. 84. | 1779–1823, Rev. James Jones, D.D., Archdeacon of Hereford. He was rector of
Shenfield, near Reading (1771), and of St. Mary Somerset and St. Mary Mounthew,
London (1776). He died here in 1823 in his 92nd year. 1835–1838, Samuel Joseph,
probably the sculptor (d. 1850), cousin of George Francis Joseph, the painter (see
36 Percy Street). Was a pupil of Peter Rouw. He produced busts and medallion
portraits in London until 1823 when he went to Edinburgh but returned to London
in 1826. His statue of Sir David Wilkie was presented to the National Gallery. (See
also No. 90.) |
| No. 85. | 1835–7, Daniel Maclise (1806–1870), historical painter. Came to London from
Cork in 1827 and entered Academy Schools. Contributed series of portraits to Fraser's
Magazine (1830–8), R.A. (1840). He came to 85 (then 63) Charlotte Street in 1835
and moved to 14 Russell Place, now Fitzroy Street (q.v.) in 1837, when he began his
close friendship with Charles Dickens. He spent 9 years (1857–66) on his great
frescoes in the House of Lords and refused the presidency of the Royal Academy.
He died at 4 Cheyne Walk, Chelsea. |
| No. 86. | 1779–1788, Colonel William Sheffington. 1840–1844, Thomas Dowse, artist, followed
by Henrietta Dowse, (1846–1871). |
| No. 87. | 1788–1796, James Fittler (1758–1835), engraver of portraits, landscapes, marine
subjects and topographical views. Associate of the Royal Academy (1800). Buried
in Chiswick Churchyard. His name appears in the ratebooks for some years as 'John,'
but according to D.N.B. he was living here in 1788. 1840, R. Mclnnes, artist. |
| No. 88. | 1840–1841, Henry W. Bushell, civil engineer. |
| No. 90. | 1808–1835, Thomas Cadell. This may have been Thomas Cadell the younger (1773–1836) the publisher. His widow died in 1848. His name is followed by that of Sophia
Elizabeth Cadell (1838–1840). 1841–1846, Samuel Joseph (d. 1850), sculptor.
See No. 84. 1848, John Edward Jones (1806–1862), sculptor. Trained as a civil
engineer but taught himself modelling and was very successful with portrait busts of
notable people, including the Queen and the Prince Consort. He exhibited at the Royal
Academy from 1854 to 1862. |
| No. 91. | 1831–1840, H. Noble, artist. |
| No. 94. | 1848, Frederick N. Crouch, professor of music. |
| No. 95. | 1794–1798, John Young (1755–1825), mezzotint engraver and Keeper of the British
Institution. In 1789 appointed mezzotint engraver to the Prince of Wales. He died
at his house in Upper Charlotte Street. |
| No. 96. | 1779–1783, Lady Whitworth, the widow of Sir Charles Whitworth, M.P. for
Minehead and author of reference books. She was Martha, eldest daughter of Richard
Shelley, deputy ranger of St. James's and Hyde Park. Their eldest son was Charles
Earl Whitworth. |
| No. 98. | 1830–1833, Rev. John Goodge Foyster, preceded by Ann Foyster (1812–1826). 1835–1846, Joseph Constantine Carpue, F.R.S. (1764–1846), surgeon and anatomist. Staffsurgeon to the Duke of York's Hospital, Chelsea, for 12 years. Lecturer and writer on
anatomy. |
| No. 101. | 1840, John Doyle (1797–1868) portrait painter and caricaturist. His satiric portraits
of contemporary celebrities were produced in lithograph under the signature of 'H.B.' |
| No. 105. | 1797, Richard Westall (1765–1836) historical painter, see No. 4 Fitzroy Street. |
| No. 107. | 1783, Lady Hill. From 1781–1797 also Mrs. Mary Hill. |
| No. 111. | 1788–1794, Lady Grant. |
| No. 115. | 1788–1794, Rev. —McCauley. |
| No. 119. | 1786–1794, Manasseh Lopes, see Sir Manasseh Lopes, Bt. at 2 Fitzroy Square. 1797,
Dr. Robert Petrie (and of Gatton, Surrey). |